Jim Holmes, chairman of the Placer County Board of Supervisors, has a tough sales job ahead.

In the face of one of the roughest economic times in U.S. history, he is trying to convince Placer voters that he and fellow supervisors need a pay raise.

The supervisors' annual salary has been frozen in the county charter at $30,000 for the past 16 years. Supporters of a pay raise want to boost it to $48,000, with provisions for annual cost-of-living increases based on the consumer price index.

The pay raise proposal is on the Nov. 4 ballot as Measure R.

"It's going to be very difficult to get this passed under the current economic climate," Holmes acknowledged. "But the fact is, the supervisors are very underpaid.

"Being a supervisor is a full-time job. Often, I'm working 50 hours a week on supervisor business, including weekends. Sometimes it's as much as 60 hours a week."

The League of Placer County Taxpayers opposes the pay raise. In addition, two supervisors, Bruce Kranz and Kirk Uhler, voted against placing Measure R on the ballot.

Supervisors Holmes, Robert Weygandt and F.C. "Rocky" Rockholm voted to put the issue on the ballot.

The current $30,000 salary, which does not include health or retirement benefits, pales when compared with supervisors' pay in such counties as Santa Clara and Sonoma.

In Santa Clara, supervisors are paid a base salary of $143,000 annually. In Sonoma, they get $134,000.

Retired Placer Supervisor Harriet White of Auburn is among those who support the pay raise.

In a ballot argument favoring Measure R, she noted that the supervisors manage an annual budget of more than $700 million.

"While the county consistently provides high-quality services in a fiscally responsible manner, the pool of candidates is highly restrictive, given the hours required for the position and current compensation," she wrote.

Another former supervisor, Alex Ferreira, and two city mayors, Jim Gray of Roseville and Primo Santini of Lincoln, also expressed support in a ballot argument.

"Our supervisors' annual salary of $30,000 per year is near the bottom of the 58 counties in California," they wrote. "Yet, Placer consistently ranks as one of the best places to live, work, visit and raise a family."

Wally Reemelin, president of the League of Placer County Taxpayers, former Auburn Mayor Harvey Eisley and Ben Mavy, former secretary of the Placer County Republican Party, oppose the pay raise.

"Placer County pays a county executive officer $231,000 a year and gives him a staff to run the affairs of the county," they wrote in a ballot argument. "The Board of Supervisors' only role is to set policy and provide input to the budget."

The three said the supervisors receive "extra perks" such as a county car, a cell phone and a credit card for travel, hotels and meals.

The $30,000 salary figure became locked into the county charter in 1992 after voters approved a measure authored by the League of Placer County Taxpayers.

By law, the county can propose changes to the charter every five to six years, but only voters can approve changes.

Kranz, one of the supervisors, said the request for the pay raise is being made at the wrong time.

He noted that the county has been making cutbacks and imposing hiring freezes.

"Not that we don't deserve a pay raise, but it's not the right time to ask for one," he said.

Call The Bee's Art Campos, (916) 773-2825.